Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson, left, tries to steal the ball from the Kings’ George Papagiannis during a preseason game at Honda Center on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The uproar all focused on the shot.

Lakers rookie forward Brandon Ingram pumped his fist after he unexpectedly banked in a 3-pointer. His teammates from the bench smiled and clapped as they saw the rookie bask in the moment following some early shooting struggles. And the Lakers’ fans at Staples Center cheered loudly after seeing Ingram’s potential as an outside shooter.

How that play unfolded in the Lakers’ 101-97 preseason loss to Denver on Friday at Staples Center did not garner nearly as much attention. Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson had just scored on a basket. He stole an inbounds pass. He then set up Ingram at the top of the key for the wide-open 3-pointer.

All of which perfectly captured how Clarkson has become the Lakers’ most efficient player thus far despite an unassuming role. He rarely calls much attention to himself. For at least the first two preseason games, Lakers coach Luke Walton also has featured Clarkson in a reserve role while starting veteran guard Lou Williams. That has not stopped Clarkson though from leading the Lakers with an average of 13.5 points through two exhibition games.

“It’s cool as long as I’m on the court. I want to impact the game and be aggressive on offense,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to score and get after it defensively. It’s the same thing for me.”

It was not the same thing for Clarkson last season. He started every game, averaged 15.5 points and logged double-figures in 27 consecutive contests. The Lakers also resigned Clarkson to a four-year, $50 million, a strong signal the franchise views him as part of their long-term future.

So, it initially seemed surprising Walton featured Clarkson off the bench. He likely will do the same when the Lakers (1-1) host the Denver Nuggets (2-0) on Sunday at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Yet, Walton likened the role to what Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili and former Lakers forward Lamar Odom perfected as former Sixth Man of the Year candidates.

“If he continues to play that well, I don’t look at it as coming off the bench,” Walton said. “Lamar came off our bench, but he was really a starter. He played big minutes and played at the end of ball games.”

Clarkson has taken advantage of those minutes in numerous ways. He has consistently attacked the basket. He has meshed playing off-the-ball both with veteran backups Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon. Clarkson has become what Walton called “our most consistent perimeter defender since the start of camp.”

“That’s cool that coach got that confidence in me. I’m just trying to keep showing I improved this year and get after it defensively,” Clarkson said. It’s kind of needed. We don’t have a great defender on the team that’s going to just lock somebody down. I definitely want to work in that direction. I want to get better this summer. We sucked defensively as a team. I’m trying to help be the catalyst on that end as well.”

Clarkson has excelled in that area by devoting his film study toward defensive players. He also has soaked in Walton’s instruction on focusing on angles so he can improve on rotations. Clarkson also spent the offseason bulking up in the weight room.

Offensively, Clarkson has taken the same mentality as he did in the starting lineup. So it hardly seems surprising the Lakers’ reserves played a large part in helping the team overcome slow starts.

“He’s a guy that can adjust to whatever has to do,” Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell said. “I think he’s playing well in the position he’s in right now. Later in the season or the start of the season and it’s a different role, I feel like he’ll be able to adapt to it and he’ll do well.”

First things first. Walton has insisted he has not made up his mind on where Clarkson fits in the rotation.

“That’s two weeks in,” Walton said. “It’s a long time to go before we make that final.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com